After directing Jurassic Park in 1993, and The Lost World in 1997, Steven Spielberg hands over Jurassic Park 3 released in 2001. Why did the director give way to Joe Johnston on this conclusion?
Jurassic Park 3: Spielberg hands over
In 1993, Steven Spielberg created the event by staging Jurassic Park. Adapted from the work of Michael Crichton, the film quickly became cult, and is still considered today as one of the best films ever made. At the box office too it is an event since the feature film pays off over a billion dollars of recipes around the world. It is still the director’s biggest theatrical success to this day.
After such a score, the rest is obviously launched. The lost World released in October 1997, still directed by Spielberg.
This second part works correctly at the box office, without however repeating the exploit of the first. It brings in $ 618 million in revenue, for a budget of $ 73 million. A score nonetheless sufficient for a third film to be released in 2001: Jurassic Park 3. Unlike the first two parts, Steven Spielberg is not in charge. At the box office, the film posted a barely decent score of $ 369 million in revenue, for $ 93 million in budget.
Why didn’t Spielberg direct the film?
At the head of the first two films of the trilogy, Steven Spielberg preferred to hand over to Joe Johnston for the conclusion. The latter had notably staged The Adventures of Rocketeer, Honey I shrunk the kids and Jumanji.
His arrival in the world of dinosaurs is in part due to his determination. Indeed, after a projection of Jurassic Park, Johnston went to Spielberg and told him he was interested in making a sequel, if it was done. Six years later, Spielberg called him and offered to direct Jurassic Park 3, as he revealed in an interview for IGN.
The latter also wanted to move on. Indeed, the production of the first two parts had been exhausting for him, and he did not wish to return for the conclusion of the trilogy. Also, he wanted to focus on movies more intimate like Amistad and We have to save the soldier Ryan.
More nervous, more condensed than the previous ones, Jurassic Park 3 still offers beautiful horrific moments. We think in particular of the aviary scene.
Side dinos, the film does not disappoint by featuring a life-size Spinosaurus, thanks to the largest animatronic ever created.
